Where are the missing RIPA Commissioners' annual reports for 2005 ?
Will the Labour Government manage to publish the missing Annual Reports of the Interception of Communications Commissioner and the Intelligence Services Commissioner for 2005, before then end of 2006, as required by law ?
The Houses of Parliament will rise for the Christmas recess on Tuesday 19th December, coming back on Monday 8th January 2007. Since the House of Commons will not sit on Friday, that leaves only 6 working days for the Prime Minister to make a Ministerial Written Statement announcing the publication of these reports.
Since all of these reports are censored, in so far as there is anything which might reveal operational details, why does it take nearly a whole year for them to be published ?
What is Tony Blair trying to hide ?
Is there something in these reports about the "Wilson Doctrine", or something else which the spin doctors are trying to prevent the media and Parliament from discussing before Christmas ?
If, for example, T/Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sevice, John Yates , who is investigating the "cash / loans for peerages" scandal, had requested some Communications Traffic Data for the phones and emails, of Members of Parliament, would that or would that not come under the "WIlson Doctrine", which was raised by the then Interception of Communications Commissioner Rt. Hon. Sir Swinton Thomas, just over a year ago ?
Will any lobby journalists or MPs try to find out ?
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Section 58 Co-operation with and reports by s. 57 Commissioner:
(4) As soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year, the Interception of Communications Commissioner shall make a report to the Prime Minister with respect to the carrying out of that Commissioner's functions.(5) The Interception of Communications Commissioner may also, at any time, make any such other report to the Prime Minister on any matter relating to the carrying out of the Commissioner's functions as the Commissioner thinks fit.
(6) The Prime Minister shall lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every annual report made by the Interception of Communications Commissioner under subsection (4), together with a statement as to whether any matter has been excluded from that copy in pursuance of subsection (7).
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 section 60 Co-operation with and reports by s. 59 Commissioner:
(2) As soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year, the Intelligence Services Commissioner shall make a report to the Prime Minister with respect to the carrying out of that Commissioner's functions.(3) The Intelligence Services Commissioner may also, at any time, make any such other report to the Prime Minister on any matter relating to the carrying out of the Commissioner's functions as the Commissioner thinks fit.
(4) The Prime Minister shall lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every annual report made by the Intelligence Services Commissioner under subsection (2), together with a statement as to whether any matter has been excluded from that copy in pursuance of subsection (5).
Report of the Intelligence Services Commissioner for 2004 (.pdf) was submitted by Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood to the Prime Minister on 30th June 2005, but was only published on 3rd November 2005 and was available on-line on the 7th November 2005)
Report of the Interception Commissioner for 2004 (.pdf) was submitted by the Rt.Hon. Sir Swinton Thomas to the Prime Minister on 12th July 2005, but was only published on 3rd November 2005, and was available on-line on the 7th November 2005.
The other main RIPA Commissioner's report for last year has already been published online in July 2006
See our UK Commissioners contact details page.